Big_Red wrote:Overcooked a corner, totally my own fault and my first stack in all the years i've ridden too. Ended up with 35 stitches in the face and also had fractures of both occipital condyles & a bit of road rash on the knees & shoulder. Back is sore as i'm told i bounced on my back after going over the bars, luckily no fractured vertebrae, but that is recovering slowly. RD hanger on the bike is bent, the brifters have some scratches and were twisted on the bars & the bartape needs replacing. I'll have to check the forks for alignment and check the steerer for damage. Might be a great excuse for buying a new bike in 2014 methinks, if only Cell had a roadbike with discs i'd buy it in a flash.

EEEEP!, Heal quick and well Red

Not exactly road, but Cell is looking at releasing a disc CX bike around Feb-Mar.

Shaun

...whatever the road rules, self-preservation is the absolute priority for a cyclist when mixing it with motorised traffic.London Boy 29/12/2011

Big_Red wrote:Overcooked a corner, totally my own fault and my first stack in all the years i've ridden too. Ended up with 35 stitches in the face and also had fractures of both occipital condyles & a bit of road rash on the knees & shoulder. Back is sore as i'm told i bounced on my back after going over the bars, luckily no fractured vertebrae, but that is recovering slowly. RD hanger on the bike is bent, the brifters have some scratches and were twisted on the bars & the bartape needs replacing. I'll have to check the forks for alignment and check the steerer for damage. Might be a great excuse for buying a new bike in 2014 methinks, if only Cell had a roadbike with discs i'd buy it in a flash.

I remember reading about one of the CX pros who when asked about the differences between road and CX bikes, said that just the wheels and tyres are different. Anyway I'll be interested to see what specs it has.

gazman wrote::oops: There I sat at 7.30pm last night eating humble pie and wrapping the Christmas presents that arrived at 7.20pm. Thank you Cell and Australia Post. Terrfic job, cutting it fine but it all worked out.

Thanks again

Hi gazman, we definitely know what that's like, being on the other end of that as customers. Glad everything worked out.-website mgr Mark

I started riding to commute a few months back after a long hiatus from any kind of cycling. The fitness rewards have been great and I seem to have the bug at the moment and want to start doing longer rides - might as well I have the base either way. I strongly considered throwing down $5K+ on a bike but if I'm honest I've got a LOT of saddle time ahead of me before a few less grams or a few more Nm mean anything at all.

I want to start riding Coot-tha regularly as a way to get stronger and fitter and my 5 years old Cell Swift commuter ain't doing it for me with 39/23 lowest gear (I tried, I experienced a lot of pain and 3 stops on the way up ). I'm hoping the Omeo gets low enough with 36/25 - 16% lower than my Swift it seems. If not, a new cassette/chainring will fix it.

Even though I can afford it, I came to the conclusion that I just don't think there's value in a $5K+ bike unless a cheaper one is somehow holding you back. There's ego and bragging rights I guess... Oh and I wanted Di2. Just like the sound of it from my extensive forum surfing.

Anyway, I'll post up my findings in detail on the Omeo 2.0 - FWIW - I'm not the experienced guy everyone would like to hear about the frame from though

I bet it'll be fine and if I later on feel like it's holding me back or I get a lot stronger and more serious I'll probably just fork out for a Lynskey and move all the kit from the Omeo onto it. Nothing lost...

I think I've had the Omeo 2.0 for long enough now to give out my initial impressions. I should probably start by saying, this isn't my commuter, it's only for longer distance rides and hill climbs, so I've only covered a few hundred KMs, but that's enough to have a good idea I think. Whilst I've rode bikes on an off through my life I've been mostly sedentary in recent years and have in recent times turned to cycling for commuting, fitness, to fight aging and for weight loss.

Cell sent the bike immediately, I had it the next day. Awesome because I'm very impatient. I actually enjoyed putting it together - I'd rather do that than not to be honest. It was cool to have an understanding of the bike from the get go and look at each piece closely. I suppose because I do my own servicing of all vehicles, maybe I appreciate that kind of thing more than some would.

The most important thing I guess, is how happy I am with the bike. It's a great machine. I look at it and think "WOW"... I/you/we would expect that I think - a $2.8K bike should be a good piece of kit, and that's exactly what this thing is. I need to say though I'm VERY happy I got this Cell bike versus spending towards (or more than) $5K for a similarly spec'd Giant/Trek/Specialised. I'm a learner cyclist and to be honest - this is actually a lot more bike than I need. It will be a long time before I need anything more. That's how I feel riding it. I could spend a lot of time progressing nicely on much lesser kit. But then - there's Di2, which you just don't get for less (on a complete bike).

Di2 is really very sweet. At first I thought "well it shifts quick, but really there's not much that diff". Then you get used to it. The beauty of Di2 for me is in two things - the first is when you crest a hill to a downhill, or otherwise need a dramatic shift in gearing. You just hold the button and pedal, and you can feel it shifting gear after gear and when you get near what you want, you let off the button. It's very cool. You can hunt through a whole pile of gears very quickly. The second great thing about Di2 is when you're struggling and conditions change. Maybe you're going uphill dying trying to get enough oxygen, maybe there's a change in the angle of the road, but you can reach forward with one finger and simply push up or down a gear so easily, without breaking rhythm or letting up the pressure. It's very different to the (admittedly low-end) groupsets I've used before. I would now really miss it if I didn't have it.

Leaving Di2 and getting back to the Cell Omeo 2.0. This thing doesn't have anything I need to change straight up. I expected grip tape, the seat, brake blocks at least to need changing. All of that is sweet! The brakes grab amazingly well - to the point it severely effects steering if you touch the front brakes a little too hard on a corner. That's something I expect on a motorcycle not a push bike. The battery for the Di2 is in the seat post - which I didn't expect, but love. Very nice not having that chunk sitting on the frame. The FSA kit is very nice - the carbon bars, stem etc - all look great and the bike as a whole actually looks a lot better in the flesh than in the photos.

The finish is awesome, the only complaint I would have in that regard is under the bottom bracket there is a cutout which would be for the runners for cable derailleurs - this frame was built with regular derailleurs in mind. It'd be nice to see that plugged, it's ugly. You can only see it with the bike upside down though.

The frame. Well - I'm not all that experienced in road bike frames so one has to take my view with that in mind. This is my first carbon bike, and because of that there is a general change in feel. But I can't fault it. I - as a noob - came down Mt Coot-tha today pedaling top gear and overtaking a number of other cyclists and even getting a small amount of sideways drift from sheer lateral tyre grip. If I can do that, this geometry is racy enough for me, I say. I also have no complaints on longer 60K+ rides except my crotch getting pins and needles and needing to stand up. I used to get that on my other bike with a Selle Italia seat too. I need to try to work that out. Maybe it's seat positioning/angle/height? Maybe I just need to get used to it? I need to do some homework and testing on that one. In general, my old Cell Swift had a much more uncomfortable position where I hated the drops - and the Omeo 2.0 is much more likeable. I ride the drops on the hills and with the improved braking find I can stop fine on the hoods, which is really what I was after. The bike is comfortable enough for me. I could happily do 100KMs on it. The only question would be the seat, but that will always be a personal thing and I suspect is something I just haven't learned to setup quite right yet.

In short - I love my Cell Omeo 2.0. I honestly find it hard to believe I'd love a $5K Trek $2.2K more. Riding this bike I can't fault this frame - and it's the only real difference between those more expensive bikes. It's nice at speed, comfortable for the long haul - it's neither too sharp or too blunt.

Brizzy_Nub wrote:the only complaint I would have in that regard is under the bottom bracket there is a cutout which would be for the runners for cable derailleurs - this frame was built with regular derailleurs in mind. It'd be nice to see that plugged, it's ugly. You can only see it with the bike upside down though.

Hi Brizzy_Nub, thanks for your honest, constructive and detailed review of our Omeo 2.0! If anyone else feels the same way about the b/b cutout, please let us know.

We're on this forum because all of you are so great and let us know 'home truths' and let us know how to lift our game to serve you better.

Brizzy_Nub wrote:I think I've had the Omeo 2.0 for long enough now to give out my initial impressions. I should probably start by saying, this isn't my commuter, it's only for longer distance rides and hill climbs, so I've only covered a few hundred KMs, but that's enough to have a good idea I think. Whilst I've rode bikes on an off through my life I've been mostly sedentary in recent years and have in recent times turned to cycling for commuting, fitness, to fight aging and for weight loss.

Cell sent the bike immediately, I had it the next day. Awesome because I'm very impatient. I actually enjoyed putting it together - I'd rather do that than not to be honest. It was cool to have an understanding of the bike from the get go and look at each piece closely. I suppose because I do my own servicing of all vehicles, maybe I appreciate that kind of thing more than some would.

The most important thing I guess, is how happy I am with the bike. It's a great machine. I look at it and think "WOW"... I/you/we would expect that I think - a $2.8K bike should be a good piece of kit, and that's exactly what this thing is. I need to say though I'm VERY happy I got this Cell bike versus spending towards (or more than) $5K for a similarly spec'd Giant/Trek/Specialised. I'm a learner cyclist and to be honest - this is actually a lot more bike than I need. It will be a long time before I need anything more. That's how I feel riding it. I could spend a lot of time progressing nicely on much lesser kit. But then - there's Di2, which you just don't get for less (on a complete bike).

Di2 is really very sweet. At first I thought "well it shifts quick, but really there's not much that diff". Then you get used to it. The beauty of Di2 for me is in two things - the first is when you crest a hill to a downhill, or otherwise need a dramatic shift in gearing. You just hold the button and pedal, and you can feel it shifting gear after gear and when you get near what you want, you let off the button. It's very cool. You can hunt through a whole pile of gears very quickly. The second great thing about Di2 is when you're struggling and conditions change. Maybe you're going uphill dying trying to get enough oxygen, maybe there's a change in the angle of the road, but you can reach forward with one finger and simply push up or down a gear so easily, without breaking rhythm or letting up the pressure. It's very different to the (admittedly low-end) groupsets I've used before. I would now really miss it if I didn't have it.

Leaving Di2 and getting back to the Cell Omeo 2.0. This thing doesn't have anything I need to change straight up. I expected grip tape, the seat, brake blocks at least to need changing. All of that is sweet! The brakes grab amazingly well - to the point it severely effects steering if you touch the front brakes a little too hard on a corner. That's something I expect on a motorcycle not a push bike. The battery for the Di2 is in the seat post - which I didn't expect, but love. Very nice not having that chunk sitting on the frame. The FSA kit is very nice - the carbon bars, stem etc - all look great and the bike as a whole actually looks a lot better in the flesh than in the photos.

The finish is awesome, the only complaint I would have in that regard is under the bottom bracket there is a cutout which would be for the runners for cable derailleurs - this frame was built with regular derailleurs in mind. It'd be nice to see that plugged, it's ugly. You can only see it with the bike upside down though.

The frame. Well - I'm not all that experienced in road bike frames so one has to take my view with that in mind. This is my first carbon bike, and because of that there is a general change in feel. But I can't fault it. I - as a noob - came down Mt Coot-tha today pedaling top gear and overtaking a number of other cyclists and even getting a small amount of sideways drift from sheer lateral tyre grip. If I can do that, this geometry is racy enough for me, I say. I also have no complaints on longer 60K+ rides except my crotch getting pins and needles and needing to stand up. I used to get that on my other bike with a Selle Italia seat too. I need to try to work that out. Maybe it's seat positioning/angle/height? Maybe I just need to get used to it? I need to do some homework and testing on that one. In general, my old Cell Swift had a much more uncomfortable position where I hated the drops - and the Omeo 2.0 is much more likeable. I ride the drops on the hills and with the improved braking find I can stop fine on the hoods, which is really what I was after. The bike is comfortable enough for me. I could happily do 100KMs on it. The only question would be the seat, but that will always be a personal thing and I suspect is something I just haven't learned to setup quite right yet.

In short - I love my Cell Omeo 2.0. I honestly find it hard to believe I'd love a $5K Trek $2.2K more. Riding this bike I can't fault this frame - and it's the only real difference between those more expensive bikes. It's nice at speed, comfortable for the long haul - it's neither too sharp or too blunt.

Hopefully the professional reviews by Cycling Tips and other Pro reviewers will feel the same! We've got a lot of industry buzz for the Omeo and we hope everyone is impressed by what we've done. Dave Musgrove, our Bike Designer and Head of Design put a lot of work into this, and all of the points that Brizzy_Nub made were actually things that Dave thought out, as far as geometry, design and construction.-website mgr Mark

The Omeo 2 certainly looks the part although I think the downtube looks a bit out of proportion. I always complained to myself about the little writing all over my frames stating what "technology"was used e.g. continuous carbon fibre design etc... but without all those little writings the frame looks a bit plain. Overall nice looking bike though.

I've a Swift as well (since sept) and boy does it get a thrashing! Great bike for the coin and I'll be looking to upgrade by years end. The Swift will stay as my training bike, I'll chuck new wheels on her I reckon. If the good reviews keep coming, it'll be a 2.0 coming my way. Nothing like blowing away other cyclists on a Cell

I found my first hard rubbish Cell the other day, an old MTX-1. Sadly the frame was smashed up but i salvaged some parts from it. I find it odd that i've never seen any others on the scrap pile, especially some of the older or cheaper ones. I mean i see Trek and Specialized frames fairly often.

When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments- Elizabeth West.

ldrcycles wrote:I found my first hard rubbish Cell the other day, an old MTX-1. Sadly the frame was smashed up but i salvaged some parts from it. I find it odd that i've never seen any others on the scrap pile, especially some of the older or cheaper ones. I mean i see Trek and Specialized frames fairly often.

Could it be that Trek and Spec frames have been around longer and are generally built lighter than Cell? At least to some extent I believe you can have either durability or light weight.

ldrcycles wrote:I found my first hard rubbish Cell the other day, an old MTX-1. Sadly the frame was smashed up but i salvaged some parts from it. I find it odd that i've never seen any others on the scrap pile, especially some of the older or cheaper ones. I mean i see Trek and Specialized frames fairly often.

I've still got one in tip-top working order. I bought it second hand on flea bay. Doesn't get much use now I've got the Swift

So, I have actually changed a couple of things on my Omeo 2.0. Thought I'd post up for the sake of completeness.

Firstly, I changed the cassette from the 11-25T it came with to a 11-28T (11 speed). This is so I can attempt hill climbs I'm not vaguely fit enough for (Mount Coot-tha, it still hurts like hell with 28T but it does help somewhat). No chain change required. Also means I very rarely go to the small chain ring (a little ironic when I finally have a bike with lightning shifts on the front cogs).

Secondly, after fiddling and reading and getting advice, I changed the saddle for a Brooks Swallow Classic (chrome rails). Never had a Brooks before, but my other bike has a Selle Italia that still gave me numb nuts so after much forum surfing I decided to give this a whirl. First ride this morning, still adjusting, but already feeling like a leather lounge vs the Arione. It's a few hundred grams heavier but it's worth it I think.

Some pics, a comparison of the Fizik Arione vs the Brooks, and a couple of the bike as it is now:

I do have a little tingling in my feet after about 40KM still. I think this might be cleat position and I might move them back a little. I thought this was blood being cut off by the seat but today my crotch/butt region was fine on the new saddle, but feet still tingling/pins and needles.

I'm considering lifting the bars a little as I'm trying to get to used to riding drops instead of hoods (there's a riser above the stem I can shuffle under for just shy of a CM). I'm just wary of changing a lot of things at once and try to just make one change after each ride.

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